Fuse plug



March 22, 1932. VHELLER FUSE PLUG Filed Nov. 1, 1950 2 Sheets-SheetINVENTOR Alezmzder AT 556216; oRNEY I Mmh 22, 1932. A G HELLER 1,850,672

FUSE PLUG Filed Nov. 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEZNTOR A fezmzder 0,1762 [er Patented Mar. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALEXANDERGORDON HELLER, OF HOWARD BEACH, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO INSULINE CORP. OFAMERICA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK FUSE PLUGApplication filed November 1, 1930. Serial No. 492,702.

The objects of this invention are to rovide a device for fusing cordcircuits or t e like, such as are usually plugged into baseboardreceptacles and other wall outlets; to pro- 5 vide such a device in theform of a small inexpensive plug, which can be plugged into the standardwall receptacle and which in turn will take a standard form ofattachment plug; which will disclose at all times the con- 1 dition ofthe fuses; which may be readily refused and which will be safe,dependable, practical and eflicient in every way.

The foregoing and other desirable ob ects are attained by the novelfeatures of con- 15 struct-ion, combinations and relation of partshereinafter disclosed.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrate a desirable commercial embodiment of the inven- 20 tion, butit is to be understood that the structure may be modified as regardsthis disclosure without departure from the true spirit and broad scopeof the invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the 25 adaptation of theinventionto a standard baseboard outlet; Fig. 2 is an enlarged brokenperspective view showing the device separated for the replacement of aburnt fuse;

Fig. 3 is a view of the outer end of the deao vice; Fig. 4 is a viewshowing the device as it appears before the outer end cap is permanentlyfastened in place; Fig. 5 is a broken part longitudinal sectional viewof the device; Fig. 6 is another sectional View as on substantially theplane of line 66 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an end view of the plug part ofthe device as it appears when the glass shell and inner end cap areremoved for replacement of fuses; Fig. 8 is a detail of one of the fuselinks.

In Fig. 1, the numeral 9 designates an ordinary baseboard receptaclehaving sockets 10 for the projecting blades of a standard attachmentplug.

The new fuse plug is equipped with blades 11 to enter the receptaclesockets 10 and make engagement with the contacts therein. These bladesare shown in Fig. 5 as made with outwardly offset portions 12 engagedwith angled shoulders 13 on the end of the plug body 14 and as havingterminal extensions 15 projecting from the ofi'sets through passages 16in the block into fuse recesses 17 in the sides of the block. Secured tosaid extensions by screws 18 are the fuse clamps 19 designed to grip theends of the fuse links 20 against the sides of the extensions andproportioned to engage the shoulders 21 on the block to thereby securethe blade members against withdrawal from the block.. It will be seenthat with this arrangement the blades or prongs of the plug are securedin place by simply fastening the fuse clamps thereto, said clampspreventing endwise motion in one direction by engagement with stopshoulders 21 of the plug and the oflt'sets 12 of the blades engagingshoulders 13 of the plug to prevent endwise movement of the blades inthe opposite direction. Even when the clamp screws are loosened for thereplacement of a fuse link, the blades will still be held in place. Thisoffset construction of the blades furthermore is desirable as giving theprojecting portions of the blades the proper spacing for cooperationwith the receptacle contacts and as bringing the fuse terminal portionsof the blade out to a larger diameter of the plug body where the fuselinks can be more readily handled.

At the end opposite the projecting blades, the plug is provided withsockets 22 to receive projecting blades of a standard attachment plugand within these sockets are located the spring contacts 23 forengagement by such blades. Contacts 23 are shown as reversely bentspring members held in place in their sockets by cooperating clampplates 24 bearing against shoulders 25 on the plug and secured by thescrews 26.

The fuse links are thus removably gripped at their opposite ends in theclamps of the blade members and sockets contacts respectively. extendingacross the fuse channels or recesses 17 in the sides of the blockbetween these points. Upon loosening screws 18 and 26 the fuse links arereleased enabling portions of blown fuses to be readily removed and newfuses to be inserted and clamped in place.

The fuse carrying portion of the block or 100 plug body is shown assurrounded'by a glass case or cover 27 removably held in place betweenend flanges or rings 28 clamped over the opposite ends of. the block bythe end lates 29 and 30, a through screw or similar astening 31 beingrovided for holding said partsfiin the assem led relation indicated in 1To further aid in holding and positioning the arts, discs 32, 33, areshown dispose insi e the end caps, immediately overlying the ends of theplug body but caught beneath the end flanges 28 and bearing on the endsof the lass enclosure. Also these discs and the en caps are indicated inFigs. 5 and 6 as having registering openings or recesses 34, 35,receiving positioning lugs 36, 37, on the ends of the fuse clamp plates19 and 24. These end members are thus interlocked with the metallicportions of the pulg and as the latter interlock in seats or recesses inthe plug, the parts are definitely positioned and held againstrotational shifting.

Upon releasing the single screw 31, the plug may be opened up for thereplacement of fuses. To prevent the parts from becoming entirelydisassociated when the assembly screw 1s released there is shown in Fig.6 a s ecial nut 38 for the screw, embedded in the b ock and having anannular collar or flange- 39 extended through the end cap 29 and rivetedthereover at 40. This s ecial nut is located'at the end of the bore 41or the screw and by the rivet construction described serves to securethe block and one end cap structure permanently assembled. Therefore,when the screw is released as in Fi 2, the transparent cover shall andone en cap will come away from the plug body and the opposite end cap,these thereby constituting but two main parts, which can be easilyhandled as such in renewing the fuses. The through screw may be arrangedas shown, that is with its head at the inner end of the plug, so thatwhen the plug is in service, th1s screw can not be reached to separatethe parts of the plug. This makes it necessary to remove the plug fromthe receptacle or other electric circuit source before it can be takenapart. While in service however, the plug may be inspected 1at any timeto see whether the fuses are inact. The prong contacts and the socketcontacts are shown as disposed in the plug body on lines at right anglesto each other, so that as indicated in Fig. 5, the socket contacts willbe disposed in between the prong contacts. This side-'by-side relationof the contacts en ables a particularly small and compact structure,since the plug body need only be the length of one set of contacts. Thisarrangement also enables making the fuses in the form of relativelyshort links or straps extending circumferentially about the oppositesides of the plug body. The prong contacts 11, the socket contacts 23and the clamp members 19 and 24 may be of duplicate construction, whichfurther cheapens the cost ofthe article and facilitates assemblage ofthe plug or replacement of the plug parts.

What is claimed is: 1. A fuse plug, comprising a plug body,

attachment plug blades projecting from one,

end of said plug body, attachment plug blade socket contacts in theopposite end of said plug body, fuse link connections circum erentiallydisposed about said plug body and connecting the blade and socketcontacts and a readily removable transparent casing about the plug bodyand covering said fuse link connections.

2. A fuse plu comprising a plug body,

attachment plug ades projecting from one end of said plug body,attachment plug blade socket contacts in the opposite end of said plugbody, fuse link connections circumferentially disposed about said plugbody and connecting the blade and socket contacts, a readily removabletransparent casing about the plug body and covering said fuse linkconnections, said blade and socket contacts having fuse link clampsdisposed at the sides of the plug body for releasably gripping the fuselink connections.

3. A fuse plug, comprising a plug body, attachment plug bladesprojecting from one end of said plug bod attachment plug blade socketcontacts in t e opposite end of said plug bod fuse link connectionscircumfer- 1-00.

entially isposed about said lug body and connecting the blade and sec etcontacts, a

readily removable transparent casing about the plug body and coveringsaid fuse-link connections and said plug body having shouldered portionscooperating with said clamps for positionin the blades andsocketcontacts in the plug bo y.

4. A fuse plug, comprising a plug body, attachment plug bladesprojecting from one end of said plug body, attachment plug blade socketcontacts in the opposite endof-said plug body, fuse 'link connectionsbetween the body, a transparent enclosure removabl disposed between saidend cap structures, lade' contacts set in one end of the plu body,socket contacts set in the opposite en of the body, fuse clampsassociating with said contacts, the blade and socket contact fuse clampsbemg alternately disposed about the periphery of the plug body, fuseconnections between the fuse clamps viewable through said enclosure andfastening means for securing said parts together and readily releasableto enable the replacement of the fuse connections. i

6. A fuse plug, comprising a plug body, blade contacts seated in one endof the plug body and having fuse clamps disposed at the sides of theplug body, socket contacts set 1n the opposite end of the plug body andhaving fuse clamps exposed at the side of the plug body, the bladecontact and socket contact, fuse clamps being alternately disposed aboutthe periphery of the plug body and fuse links extending about the sideof the plug body between the fuse clamps aforesaid.

7. A fuse plug, comprising a plug body, blade contacts seated in one endof the plug body and having fuse clamps disposed at the sides of theplug body, socket contacts set in the opposite end of the plug body andhaving fuse clamps exposed at the side of the plug body alongside thefuse clamps of the plug contacts, fuse links extending about the side ofthe plug body between the fuse clamps aforesaid'a-nd a cover removablyengaged on the plug body and having a transparent portion for exposingthe fuse links.

8. A fuse plug, comprising a plug body having openings extended thereinfrom opposite ends of the plug body and shouldered fuse seats in thesides of the plug body, blade contacts and socket contacts set in saidopenings in the opposite ends of the plug body,

clamp plates secured to said contacts and engaged with the shouldersaforesaid. connections held by said clamp plates and located in the fuseseats in the sides of the plug body, a fuse cover about the plug bodyand end members holding said cover to the plug body.

9. A fuse plug, comprising a plug body having openings extended thereinfrom opposite ends of the plug body and shouldered fuse seats in thesides of the plug body, blade contacts and socket contacts set in saidopenings in the opposite ends of the plug body, clamp plates secured tosaid contacts and engaged with the shoulders aforesaid, connections held,by said clamp plates and located in the fuse seats in the sides of theplug body, a fuse cover said cover to the plug body, one of said endmembers being attached to the plug body and tltij other plug memberbeing readily remova e.

10. A fuse plug, comprising a plug body having openings extended thereinfrom opposite ends of the plug body and shouldered fuse seats in thesides of the plug body, blade contacts and socket contacts set in saidopenings in the opposite ends of the plug body, clamp plates secured tosaid contacts and engaged with the shoulders aforesaid, connections heldby said clamp plates and located in about the plug body and end membersholding the plug for detachably securing the parts in assembledrelation.

In testimony whereof I alfix nliy signature. ALEXAN ER GORDON ELLER.

